1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf practice or training devices that assist a golfer in learning the proper swing angle in relation to the club path and golf ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to a Golf Impact Plane Model that illustrates the geometric possibilities of the collision between a golf club and a golf ball on an inclined plane. The plane formed by the direction of the center of gravity of the club head and the direction the club face points at impact is the plane that the golf ball will start on and the plane that the spin axis of the ball is perpendicular to.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the golf swing practice or training industry, golfers may use various training devices to help assist in learning the proper swing angle in relation to the club path and ball. The following U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,693; 5,139,263; 5,310,188; 5,836,829; 6,500,075; 7,131,910; 7,427,238; 7,727,080; 7,857,708; 7,874,930; and 7,927,228. Also incorporated herein by reference is The Physics of GOLF, Second Edition, by Theodore P. Jorgensen (and especially pages 86-89, which discuss the D plane: “The D plane for a golf swing contains the path along which the club head is moving at impact, the normal to the clubface, and the initial path of the ball after impact. The D plane also contains the aerodynamic lift force, since the lift force is perpendicular to the axis of spin and this axis is perpendicular to the D plane.”).